ok, just because this has been sitting around in a document and I think I've blocked most people who caused me to write this, Jiang Cheng nuance under the cut.
So, like many Jiang Cheng fans, I don't like it when people call his relationship with Jin Ling abusive. Let me clear up why.
Let’s establish facts, I’m using the novel as my basis, because I think the story in that is closest to the authorial intent and it’s the easiest for me to check through. Now, does JC hit JL? During canon, I can recall 3 times in which JC hits or pushes JL. Do these times show an established pattern of behavior, ie, make him abusive? No, not in my opinion. So let’s look for anything that establishes his behavior towards JL before the events of the novel.
After Xinglu Ridge, when JL returns to JC, JC scolds JL for running off and pinches him. This is seen as a childish punishment, as JL complains that he isn’t three. JC responds that even when JL is 30 he will still pinch him, and overall, the scene shows the difference between JC’s threats and actions when it comes to disciplining JL. Later, after encountering WWC, JC interrogating WWX, and JL freeing WWX, WWX knocks JL unconscious, and when he wakes again, JL complains that “You actually hit me! Not even my uncle has hit me before!” Now, I’m going to take that statement at face value. When WWX expresses doubt at JL’s statement, citing JC’s threats, JL exclaims, “that’s all talk!” I think, with these statements, we have a pretty clear picture of JC and JL’s relationship as a guardian and child. JC scolds, nags, makes empty threats, and sometimes pinches, and JL is a teenager pushing boundaries and trying to prove himself, not necessarily to JC, but to himself, his sect, and his parents’ memories.
So what changes? What gets JC to hit JL? Well, let’s start by looking at when he hits JL. 1. Post second siege of Burial Mounds, 2. Post Ancestral Hall face-off, and 3. During Guanyin Temple. All of these, I would consider in times of high emotion.
1. JC's golden core was sealed and JL ran off to fight after JC tried to keep him safe inside. After the battle, JC confirms JL is safe, hits JL, then collapses due to his own exhaustion. (JC was fighting without his golden core to try and reach JL.)
2. This one is mentioned during a brief JL POV to explain why he was in Guanyin Temple. JL was pressing JC about what happened with WWX post the golden core reveal, while JC was confirming that he was the only one who could unsheathe Suiban. JL, unaware of what happened in the ancestral hall apparently threw a fit and screamed at JC that he was the reason WWX left, and was “smacked to the ground.” As a note, JC would have been recovering from his golden core being sealed, and fighting WWX and LWJ, who escalated the ancestral hall confrontation from words to physical violence when WWX threw an exploding talisman that hit JC.
3. Technically not a “hit” but he did push JL away forcefully as he was trying to face and talk to WWX about his family, his losses, and his golden core. Note that at this point, his golden core was sealed and he was injured.
Now, is it excusable to hit someone when frustrated or angry? Ideally no, of course not. But this isn’t a story in the modern world, with western framing of families and obsession with independence, nor one meant to examine the effects of physical discipline in child-rearing. Even if it were, humans fuck up. Making mistakes is natural, and even expected during times of distress. Given JC's history, the fact that he did not “mess up” in that way until this part of the story is impressive.
So if we have no previous precedence for him being abusive towards JL, and only evidence for it in difficult situations, what about the future? Is there anything we can glean about his behavior that would make it more or less feasible to continue?
First, something I think should be noted is that JC did raise a hand to JL one more time after the three I noted earlier- after everything happened in Guanyin Temple. This time, JL flinches (the only time he flinches, btw), so JC lowers his hand and drops/changes the subject. Anything past this is subject to good/bad faith interpretation. But as a good faith reader, I take JC to, in that moment, recognize that he has harmed JL enough (the mentioned 3 times) to cause a flinch, and stops himself because that is not how he wants to respond to the situation, nor is that a response he wants to get. He was lashing out at people due to his own trauma, but only one of those times would I even generously say was about disciplining JL. For the others, JL was a bystander who got between JC and his goal. So when JL flinches and JC lowers his hand, I take it as him pulling out of a knee-jerk reaction because he doesn't want to hit JL. And I don't believe an abuser would give a shit. Going even further into it, JC only ever hits JL when he isn’t at full strength, his golden core sealed or recovering from being sealed, and JC is exhausted, injured, or manic- recall when his core was destroyed and he hit WWX, he asked if WWX could feel it and that he was hitting at his full strength (WWX could barely feel it). It’s hard to tell how strong JC is in the modern MDZS time with his core sealed and him being injured compared to his core being melted during Sunshot, but I think that JC, while weakened, is less in control of himself, and willing to do things he would question or never consider while at full strength/in control of himself.
Moving on, at the end of canon/post-canon, JL goes with JC, JC helps JL take over his own sect, and JL goes low contact because he doesn't want JC to become the subject of the rumor mill for helping JL claim his position as Jin Sect Leader. This is not JL distancing himself because he dislikes JC, or interpreting JC as a figure he no longer wants to interact with, or some other negative reason, but because JL cares for JC and he shows a surprising political understanding and concern for JC’s situation.
For people arguing that JC abused JL, when do you actually suggest JL was abused? During the maybe one year of canon? When JL is actively the Jin Sect Leader? Before canon, when JL claims he has never been hit?
Or if you are so fixated on those three times JL is hit by JC, what about the other times JL gets hit or punished by adult figures? LWJ cast the silencing spell on a child he does not and should not have the authority to punish, after the novels say he left that conversation for the juniors to hash out. He later indirectly threatened JL because JL got between LWJ and JC. JGY is a bit of a special circumstance. I don't think an analysis of JGY and JL's relationship really fits in this, so I'll summarize. In general, his relationship with JL seems indulgent. But if JGY indulging JL would affect JGY's life, well-being, or survival, then JGY would choose himself first. Not a great look for a guardian, but not unreasonable for a human. WWX fought JL the first time they met (even if JL was being a brat, WWX, a grown man, decided to fight a 15 year old), pinning him and insulting his family. Later he knocked JL unconscious (yes, it was to check an injury but… let's say most people don't have WWX's track record of dubious medical decisions and practices) which resulted in the “JC never hit me” conversation, and I don’t feel like going through other parts of the novel right now, but WWX hits JL more times in the extras. He does say he does it to "remind JL of his uncle" but it's already been established that JC doesn't hit JL, so apparently WWX is trying to bop information into JL's head.
Only focusing on JC's interactions being "wrong" while everyone else was just “disciplining” JL, regardless of their right to do so, brushing off WWX's actions as him being more tactile, well-meaning, or it’s okay because it’s funny when WWX does it, or because it is someone else and physical discipline fits with the culture and times. The difference in directing positive or negative energy towards the interpretation of characters' actions, dependent on the opinion of said character, is what I mean by interpreting with good/bad faith.
I will also say play or staged fights with a martial brother are not evidence of an abusive history. Using JC's relationship with WWX does not show a penchant for abuse because it's an entirely different relationship at an entirely different time, and JC was not an evil stepsister- they played together, trained together, even suffered together. WWX's defection was an agreement to maintain political distance from each other, and JYL's death was the catalyst of JC's modern distrust and hatred towards WWX- which is conflicted by the love and trust he once held for the friend he once considered WWX. Bad reactions to extreme situations are… par for the course. They happen. If you can't handle or refuse to understand that outside yourself and your blorbos, that’s your choice. That’s not a choice you can force on others, or that you can take from others, and it's not a choice that has a right or wrong answer.
I digress. The biggest reason I don’t buy JC being abusive is that JL clearly trusts him to help. JC was there for JL’s first hunt. JC does not punish him for the Dafan Mountain night hunt (despite saying he would) and in fact indulges and helps JL get to Qinghe/Xinglu Ridge to give JL a different hunt. He may scold him and pinch him, but he also begs to take JL’s place as a hostage later. Post-canon, JC secures JL’s position as sect leader, despite risk to himself. JL doesn’t start avoiding JC because he hates JC or because he has WWX now, it’s because he knows JC continuing to help him will paint a target on JC’s back. That’s a kid who still cares about his uncle. An uncle who fought to have JL at Lotus Pier for half the year because he wanted to be there for his nephew. JC cares and cares deeply. JL is a bratty teen, who is finding his own footing in the world. They aren't in an easy part of their relationship, but that doesn't mean there is a clearly defined right and wrong in how they should or shouldn't behave and it's abusive. It means it is complicated. When the juniors + Wangxian + WN make JL cry, they are lost in trying to comfort him- because they didn’t make an effort to understand that he has a valid conflicting perception of these people (or some of them) and the effect they’ve had on his life. But JC knows, because he’s experienced it. And JC is the one who threatens them for making JL cry and who JL goes to and stays with for comfort.
As a final, more general fandom unrelated note... Coming for JC or other character enjoyers who have a good faith interpretation by using a bad faith interpretation- especially regarding sensitive topics or where you allow a different character leniency is antagonistic. You should keep it to yourself, or tag it in a way that clarifies that you know people may not like or agree with your interpretation of a character and you are either willing or unwilling for them to try and change your mind. Tag it as anti or critical, or censor the name. Generally fandom does not use “canon” tags because by fandom’s very nature, it isn’t canon. Interpretations relying on text or close examination of scenes are meta, beliefs about characters with varying reliance on fact or personal ideas are headcanons, and there are even varying levels of “canon” as authors may contradict themselves, different adaptations exist, and not everyone cares about interviews or bonus material. You don’t have to be a character anti, in this case, a JC anti, to write something that is anti JC.
